3. Physics of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)

There has been much progress in the development of high intensity lasers and in the science of laser-driven inertially confined fusion such that ignition is now a near term prospect. Fusion of nuclear energy refers to the phenomenon in which two or more light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier atomic nucleus. These reactions of nuclei with low atomic numbers are exothermic. Fusion process in the nature as means of energy source can be observed in the Sun and stars. The man made of such energy source on earth was observed in 1952 as a large amount of nuclear fusion was achieved for the first time on our planted by a thermonuclear explosion, by utilizing fusion reactions in a mixture of Deuterium (D) and Tritium (T). Since then, research work has sought ways of using controlled nuclear fusion energy for peaceful needs. As water in the oceans contains one deuteron for every 6000 protons, the oceans are in inexhaustible source of nuclear fusion energy.